Age Well DuPage - Saturday, May 16th

DuPage County Human Race

The rain did not stop the people of DuPage County from getting out early this morning to walk or run in support of the many non-profits throughout the county.

This is the third year my family and I have participated in the race. Each year we have supported a different non-profit organization. This year we walked with our good friends from the DuPage Railroad Safety Council.  The DuPage Railroad Safety Council is made of railroad officials, government officials, engineers, educators and private citizens who have a deep concern for safety at railroad crossings. The Council was founded on April 30, 1994 as an outgrowth of a Railroad Safety Conference called by the Chairman of the DuPage County Board. Since that time, the Council has met regularly to examine ways to heighten awareness and improve safety conditions at railroad crossings and to work with civic and railroad leaders to stop preventable accidents along railroad right of ways.

You can read more on the DRSC here.

Liz ( DRSC member) and Brian Chaplin, VM, Ellena and Grace Chaplin

Jim and Jackie Speta, Dr. Lanny Wilson, Debbie Hare, Steve Laffy and Dave Mantune
DuPage Railroad Safety Committee

You can learn more about the Human Race here.

CHAPLIN AND NYBO EXPLORING WHETHER TO RETURN THE ELECTORAL PROCESS TO THE DuPAGE COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE

SPRINGFIELD – DuPage County Board member Liz Chaplin (D-Downers Grove) and State Sen. Chris Nybo (R-Elmhurst) are working to streamline local government and reduce taxpayer costs by exploring whether to return the electoral process to the DuPage County Clerk’s office.

Chaplin and Nybo are asking that the issue be considered by the Local Government and Unfunded Mandates Task Force chaired by Lt. Gov. Evelyn Sanguinetti.  The electoral process in every other county in Illinois is administered by the County Clerk’s office.

“DuPage County is one of just a few counties with an independent Election Commission and electoral process,” Chaplin said. “We are recommending that the election board be appointed by their representative parties at their bi-annual convention making the process open, fair and transparent. The people of DuPage need to be a part of the electoral process.”

A report authorized by DuPage County Chairman Dan Cronin acknowledged the “overlap of administrative positions” between the Clerk’s office and the Election Commission.

“Citizens in other counties have a say in the electoral process, and the citizens of DuPage should be afforded the same opportunity. Plus, the higher costs associated with duplicated administrative costs are not an efficient way to run government,” Nybo said.

Gov. Bruce Rauner created the Local Government and Unfunded Mandates Task Force to identify ways to help local governments consolidate and eliminate duplicate governmental bodies, school districts and taxing authorities. Streamlining these services will help prevent waste and use taxpayer dollars more efficiently. It will also find ways to reduce the number of unfunded mandates the state imposes on local communities.

The task force is comprised of municipal and county leaders, representatives of school districts, state legislators, and experts in consolidation. They represent all areas of Illinois, and both political parties.

DuPage Water Commission to Reduce Water Rate to Municipalities

Just learned yesterday that the DuPage Water Commission will be reducing the water rate to the municipalities by .10 cents per thousand gallons, that is a big reduction.  How was the water commission able to have such a large surplus?  Did they learn nothing from past experience? Will the saving be passed on to the end user, the taxpayer?

You can find more on the history of the water commission here, here and here.